This guide gives instructions for installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2024. It is written for standalone installations of SOLIDWORKS Electrical. In this configuration, all program components are on the same computer. If your software is installed in a client-server configuration (a server computer hosts the program data, collaborative server and SQL server, while each client computer hosts the user application), please refer to the 2024 SOLIDWORKS Electrical Client-Server Installation Guide (available in our Help Center). Please contact Hawk Ridge Systems Technical Support if you are unsure of your SOLIDWORKS Electrical configuration type.

SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2024 uses the same installation manager as other SOLIDWORKS products, including the 3D CAD software. When installing other SOLIDWORKS products along with Electrical, please also refer to their installation guides for further instructions.

This is not a troubleshooting guide. Please visit our Help Center or contact Hawk Ridge Systems Technical Support if you have any technical issues with SOLIDWORKS Electrical.

This document is only to be distributed to and used by Hawk Ridge Systems customers. Any other use is prohibited.

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Contents

Before Installation

Licensing

Configuration Requirements

Standalone Installation

Appendix: License Deactivation

Online Deactivation

E-mail Deactivation

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Before Installation

Hawk Ridge Systems highly recommends taking a moment before installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical and checking that you are ready to load your new software. First, ensure that your computer meets minimum system requirements and that your video card passes certification checks. Also, confirm that the hard drive has enough space to have at least 15% free space after the full installation. Back-up data such as any shared Toolbox library, Design Library, Template files, or a data management vault. As always, verify workmates, customers, or vendors are all on the same version of SOLIDWORKS Electrical. Older versions of SOLIDWORKS Electrical cannot open files from newer versions.

1. Back-up your data.
2. It is strongly recommended that you archive your environment prior to performing any upgrade or maintenance of SOLIDWORKS Electrical. This will save a copy of all your program data (projects, components, symbols, etc.) into one compressed file. To do this, click the Archive Environment button within the SOLIDWORKS Electrical application and run through the wizard. Note that the archive may take several hours to create, so we recommend running this process overnight.

• If you have related SOLIDWORKS files, it is recommended that you make backup copies of these also. Any templates or design libraries should also be saved to a backup folder.

1. Obtain your SOLIDWORKS 2024 installation media.
2. The latest version of the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager can be downloaded from the SOLIDWORKS downloads page.
3. The Installation Manager can be used to download the necessary files and complete the installation in one process.
4. The Installation Manager can also be used to download the full SOLIDWORKS 2024 installation files ahead of the installation. This complete file set is approximately 21 GB and is equivalent to the DVDs. This is useful if SOLIDWORKS Electrical is being installed on several computers, as the files can be downloaded once then copied to those computers via the network or a removable storage device.
5. Beginning with SOLIDWORKS 2019, DVD distribution media is provided only on request.

Licensing

SOLIDWORKS Electrical can be used with standalone and network licenses. Note that the license type differs from the installation configuration, which can be standalone or client-server (this guide is for the standalone configuration). Either license type can be used with either configuration.

If you have a standalone license, you will need to activate SOLIDWORKS Electrical after installing. You will be automatically prompted to do this when launching the application after installation. If you are installing SOLIDWORKS at the same time as SOLIDWORKS Electrical, you will need to launch SOLIDWORKS to complete the activation. Refer to our 2024 Product Activation guide for more information on activation methods. You may also deactivate a standalone license on a particular computer by following the steps in the Appendix. This will allow the license to be activated on another computer.

If you have a network license, the SolidNetWork License Manager on the license server computer needs to be of a version at or above the version of SOLIDWORKS Electrical that you are installing. If this is not already the case, refer to our 2024 Network Server Installation guide to install and activate a suitable version of the SolidNetWork License Manager.

Configuration Requirements

SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2024 requires SQL server 2017 or newer in order to run. A first-time installation of SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2024 includes Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Express in the installation process.

If you are installing SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D, you must either install SOLIDWORKS along with Electrical 3D or have already installed SOLIDWORKS on your computer. SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic and SOLIWORDS Electrical 3D must all be of the same version and service pack.

Standalone Installation

REMINDER: If upgrading from a previous version of SOLIDWORKS Electrical, we strongly recommend archiving your environment proceeding. 

1. Log into the computer as an administrator.
2. Disable all anti-virus and anti-spyware tools and turn off Windows User Account Control.
3. Locate your SOLIDWORKS 2024 installation media (download or DVD) and launch the setup application (setup.exe). You should see the Welcome screen for the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager. Select Install on this computer then click Next.
4. You will then see the Serial Number screen where you can enter the serial number for your SOLIDWORKS Electrical installation. Note that you do not need to enter multiple serial numbers if your SOLIDWORKS serial number is the same as your SOLIDWORKS Electrical serial number. If you are only installing the SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic application, the serial number should be entered in the corresponding field. Only check and enter the SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D option if you have a separate license serial number for it. Click Next.
5. The Installation Manager will verify your serial number and perform an automatic system check for any existing versions of SOLIDWORKS or SOLIDWORKS Electrical. Take note of any messages or warnings during this step then click Next.
   
   
6. At the Summary screen, you can change the settings and options defined for the installation. To do so, click Change on the right side of each option.
7. Click Change next to Products to go to the Product Selection screen. Scroll down and ensure that SOLIDWORKS Electrical is checked on. Nested here are the individual Electrical components. Check these against the information below. Click Back to Summary when finished.
   
   SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic is the 2D electrical schematic design application and should be checked on.
   
   
8. SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D is the add-in for the main SOLIDWORKS application. It may not be available if your license does not include it, but if it does, ensure that you are installing SOLIDWORKS as well. They must be of the same version and service pack.
9. Collaborative Server is used to communicate between the application and the SQL server. This option should be checked on for a standalone installation.
10. Application Data includes the SQL server and program data used for the application (projects, symbols, manufacturer parts, templates, etc.). This option should be checked on for a standalone installation.
11. At the Summary screen, click Change next to Electrical Options. Check the following options and click Back to Summary when finished. We recommend keeping the default values for all options here. 
12. Data Location specifies the directory that will contain all of the program data. The default is C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS Electrical. Click Browse to change this location if desired.
13. Collaborative Server specifies the machine name and port number of the collaborative server. The defaults are localhost and 26666, respectively. These settings should be left default for the standalone configuration.
14. SQL Server specifies the name of the SQL server (the default is localhost\TEW_SQLEXPRESS) that will host the Electrical databases and the password that will be used to connect to it. For a new standalone installation, select the option to Install a new instance of SQL Server with the name localhost, and tew user password SQLpwd4ew. These should be the default values.
15. Confirm that all the information on the Summary screen is correct. Accept the license agreement then click Install Now to begin the installation.
16. When the installation is complete, you will be asked to join the SOLIDWORKS Customer Experience Improvement Program. We recommend joining this, as it provides software performance information to SOLIDWORKS. The information this sends to SOLIDWORKS is treated confidentially and does not result in the transfer of any file information. After making the selection, click the Finish button to complete the installation.
                                                                       
17. When the software is launched for the first time after the installation, you may need to activate the license (if using standalone licensing). Follow the prompts to complete this. You will also be prompted to accept the license agreement.
18. Finally, you will be prompted to update the program data for this version of SOLIDWORKS Electrical. Proceed through this wizard to complete the installation and begin using the software.

Appendix: License Deactivation

Each activation transaction is coded to the hardware of your computer. If you are moving your SOLIDWORKS Electrical installation to a new computer, you will need to deactivate your license activation before activating on the new computer. You should also do this before reformatting or replacing your hard drive or operating system. If your SOLIDWORKS Electrical license is tied to your main SOLIDWORKS license (i.e. they are the same number), please see our 2024 Product Activation guide for the deactivation process.

If your computer does not have internet access, refer to the E-mail Deactivation section of this document below.

Online Deactivation

1. Go to Start > All Programs > SOLIDWORKS 2024 > SOLIDWORKS Electrical.
2. Once SOLIDWORKS Electrical launches, click Help > Deactivate License.
   
   NOTE: If Activate license and Deactivate license options are missing from the License menu, right mouse button click in the License menu area and go to “Customize Quick Access Toolbar...” to add.
   
3. Choose to deactivate Automatically over the Internet, enter your e-mail address, then click Next.
   
4. The software will connect to the SOLIDWORKS activation servers, and you will be informed when the license has been successfully deactivated.
   
5. Press the Finish button to complete the process.
   
   Note: SOLIDWORKS Electrical will no longer run on this computer unless it is re-activated.

E-mail Deactivation

1. Go to Start > All Programs > SOLIDWORKS 2024 > SOLIDWORKS Electrical.

2. Once SOLIDWORKS Electrical launches, click Help > Deactivate License.

NOTE: If Activate license and Deactivate license options are missing from the License menu, right mouse button click in the License menu area and go to “Customize Quick Access Toolbar...” to add. 

3. Choose to activate Manually via e-mail, enter your e-mail address, then click Next.

4. On the next page, press the Save button to create an activation request file.

Note: Once you have saved this file, your activation is disabled. Do not exit the activation window until you have read in the response file from SOLIDWORKS and completed the process or you will not be able to run SOLIDWORKS Electrical to complete the deactivation.

5. Browse to a location on your computer to store this .txt file and press the Save button. Copy this .txt file onto a removable storage device and take it to a computer with internet access.

6. E-mail this file as an attachment to activation@solidworks.com, leaving the subject and message body blank.

7. SOLIDWORKS will send a return e-mail with a different .txt file attached. Save this file to a removable storage device and take it back to the computer awaiting the activation deactivation.

8. In the activation wizard dialog, press the Open button.

9. Browse to the response file then press the Open button.

8. The next page will show you that your deactivation is complete.

9. Press the Finish button to complete the process.

Note: SOLIDWORKS Electrical will no longer run on this computer unless it is re-activated.

For further assistance, please contact our support team at support@hawkridgesys.com, or 877-266-4469 (US) or 866-587-6803 (Canada).